Hristo13

Hi @AgainstAllOdds

I’m an Australian from Melbourne. I spent about 5 years researching hair transplants before I got mine done by Dr Laorwong in Bangkok. When I first started thinking about getting a hair transplant my preference was to have it done in Australia. I tried to find reasons to justify using a local doctor but the more I researched, I just couldn’t risk using a local surgeon. For me, the lack of results posted on independent forums/websites from patients was concerning. There may be great surgeons here, I just couldn’t find any evidence of who they are.

Good luck with your search and I hope you find the right surgeon for you. 

8 month update - the pics below are before/after - overall very happy however my right side density is not as good as my left

Thank you for all the feedback - I was worried about having hair greed - but I figured since I’ve started down this path and there’s still some parts of my hairline that I’m not happy with, why not get it exactly how I want.

To answer some of your questions, I’m 42, my surgeon was Dr Laorwong (forum recommended), 2426 grafts, I use 1mg fin daily, minoxidil twice a day, various supplements, the meds have definitely thickened my existing hair. I’ve added some before pics. I have been documenting my progress on a separate thread titled - 2426 FUE Grafts.

I am almost 8 months post op, and overall I am generally happy with how things have turned out. The one thing that’s bothering me is my right side/temple area. I don’t feel it’s symmetrical or aligned with the left side. I have a cowlick the goes from right to left so I need to comb my hair that way and because of this it makes it look even worse than what it possibly is. 
 

I am considering a second procedure and wanted your thoughts on whether I go with option of the blue line (in the picture below) which will lower the hairline, or the red line which will incorporate temple work. I have added other pics to give you a better idea of what the hairline looks like.

Hi @aussietbk …. Putting aside whether you should have the procedure at your age and current hair loss situation as that’s a different discussion, and your decision to make, have you researched Dr Laorwong in Bangkok? I’m an Aussie who had my procedure with him in January this year and have been extremely happy with my results. I believe he’s a quality surgeon. He has some great results and is recommended on this forum.

Flights to Bangkok on one of the low cost airlines (Jetstar, Virgin) can be as little as $700/800 return from Australia. Accommodation in Bangkok is cheap. So depending on how many grafts you need, your transplant could possibly cost you below $10K Australian with a quality surgeon.

Dr Path in Thailand is also highly regarded, so he’s another one you may consider.

 Hope this helps mate.

6 month update

Ive added a couple of pics below.

extremely happy with the growth however not so happy with the hairline/temporal points. I’ve been in touch with Dr Laorwong and plan on having a 2nd surgery to add temporal points - particularly on the right side as I feel it still looks like it’s receding.

Hey @Warriors123 … a couple of us Aussies have some threads of our experiences with Dr Laorwong and Dr Path who are based in Thailand (both recommended doctors on this forum). If you use the search function on here you can read our experiences on the surgery. 
 

After doing my own research on the doctors here in Australia I wasn’t convinced of the quality of the work they were delivering, and I know @Gatsby, who is extremely knowledgeable about the level of Australian surgeons, doesn’t think much of them. In saying that I know some members have posted some positive results from one local surgeon.

If I was to give you advice, do your research on the two Thai doctors I mentioned above, look at their history of results and compare them to Australian surgeons and see what you feel comfortable with.

It's looking great @rr1992, you can see some good growth coming in ...  is there still some redness? My redness started to fade after three months and by month four it was completely gone.

I'm just over four months and extremely happy with the progress. I noticed the biggest improvement between month 3 and 4 so I'm sure you will continue to see improvement. Dr Laorwong seems to be doing great work.  

Looks amazing @_lshy … the hairline frames your face perfectly 

Hi @rr1992 … any updates? It would be great to see how it’s coming along.

3 MONTH UPDATE

Surgery January 5 ... Pictures taken April 8

Lots of shock loss for the first two months - I started Fin for the first time on January 6 so that could also have contributed to it

Redness has only started to fade a little over the last week or so

So far everything has gone extremely smoothly - no soreness, no itchiness, no complications whatsoever ... Use Fin 1mg daily, Minoxidil foam twice a day, lots of different supplements.

First four photos are taken with dry hair and no product - however i did put Minoxidil foam in about two hours before the pictures which does tend to thicken my hair. Last three photos are with wet hair. 

I said I wouldn't make a judgement call on how it looks until about the six month mark as, in my opinion, that's when you tend to get good a sense of how it may turn (understanding there are exceptions to this). However, in saying that, I am extremely happy and looking forward to continued growth. 

Hi @BKKGUY I did some research on clinics in Thailand (on here as well as through other channels) and I did not come across "HairTran Clinic". As @NARMAK has mentioned there are two surgeons recommended on this forum that are based in Bangkok and both have positive feedback by patient reviews. 

Hi @Lloydo ... sorry to hear about the side effects ... I've been on Fin for just under 8 weeks now ... luckily I didn't have any issues with my libido however I did experience some pretty heavy shedding and testicular pain.

With the shedding - I had an FUE procedure on January 5th so I am sure that also contributed to it ... My heavy shedding continued for about 5 weeks and its now pretty stable.

With the testicular pain - I still get it around once a week for about 24 hours. The pain is bearable and its more of an inconvenience. In my research on it they say that it does subside in time so I'm hoping it will eventually go away.  

@_lshy it's looking like its coming along really good ... are you still happy with your decision to do the FUT? How have you been managing the recipient area? As in are you using any creams for it - as it doesn't look like you have much redness there

Hi ... everything is going as it seems it should ... ill upload some pictures shortly ... there's still a lot of redness and I am experiencing quite a bit of shedding of my non-implanted hair ... I still have no regrets about choosing Dr Laorwong and have been extremely happy with how things have gone so far

@rr1992 good luck with it - my only advice would be to ask every question you have as Dr Laorwong is happy to answer - however, in my experience, he does not initiate discussion so the onus is on you to do so 

Hi @rr1992 ... it was a combination of my suggestion based on a hairline design I wanted and Dr Laorwong taking measurements using a ruler of my face and making recommendations ...  it is probably one area I wish I had spent a little more time considering ... I had an in person consultation the day before surgery and if I could change one thing it would be leaving the drawing of the hairline, which we did on this day, on overnight so I could see how I feel about it in my own time and over a few hours

@Gatsby I don't think I have ever wished such good fortune on someone I have never met in person 😀 .... if anyone deserves a great result it's you mate ... just stay out of this Melbourne sun!

Hi all

Thank you to all who contribute to this great site – it has taught me so much – may the hair gods (Hairy Krishna?) bless you all. Having had my surgery with Dr Kongkiat Laorwong on 5 January 2022, I wanted to provide a run-down of my experience.  

41 year old Australian male. Experiencing a gradual recession of my hairline since my mid 20’s. I have been on topical minoxidil for the past 3 years as well as Swisse Hair Nutrition for Men supplements.

I originally had a surgery with Dr Ozlem Bicer in Turkey planned for April/May 2019 – however travel restrictions for Aussies didn’t allow that to happen.

I chose Dr Laorwong for a couple of different reasons.

1.       The hairline that I was after – his own website pictures, as well as the cases he himself has posted on here made me feel he was the right surgeon to get the result I was after.

2.       Reviews from other posters on here – it seemed almost everyone who has surgery with Dr Laorwong was happy with the experience and his results seemed great.

3.       Convenience – I didn’t have much time during this period and his surgery is close to my homeland of Australia. I could fly in, have the surgery, and be back home in a reasonable amount of time.

4.       Not having to shave my whole head – my work means I need to be visible to internal and external stakeholders, so I wanted to be able to keep my current hairstyle and do a “comb over” of the transplant (see final pic)

Pre surgery 

As some other patients of his on this forum have pointed out, Dr Laorwong is a very direct, no nonsense type of guy.  It was actually one of the reasons that made me comfortable in choosing him. Having had numerous consultations with clinics in different parts of the world, it sometimes felt a little “salesy” when speaking to them rather than a genuine consultation. In contrast, Dr Laorwong responded quite quickly and answered all my questions and there was no pressure or promises – I respected that approach. The only thing of concern for me was that I asked for a video consultation a few times and he said that was OK but didn’t organise a date/time. Even after I had paid my deposit, I had to ask a couple more times before we finally had a video consultation – and that happened when he just randomly called me out of the blue. I respect that his time is precious, so he might not be available to conduct video consultations with everyone who has asked, but I do feel that once a patient has paid a deposit it shows they are serious about progressing with the surgery so he then might be able to organise for one to take place.

Consultation (1 day prior to surgery)

I went in and got my Covid and HIV tests. Dr Laorwong asked me what type of hairline I was looking for and I explained that there was one particular result of a previous patient on his website that I really liked. He pulled it up and using that as a guide he then drew a hairline on. We agreed on the hairline and he estimated (after doing his measurements using plastic film over my scalp) that I would need 2200 grafts (eventual grafts were 2426). I paid the remainder of the balance. Prior to the consultation, and in the weeks leading up to the surgery I was extremely nervous about it – but once I finished the consultation I was just super excited to have something done which I had been wanting for the past five years. I went home and slept 8 hours.

Day of Surgery

I arrived at 8:30am. Dr Laorwong re-drew the hairline and shaved my donor. I was given some antibiotics and pain medication, however I decided against taking any sedatives as I am in Bangkok on my own and I didn’t want to be groggy in a foreign land where I don’t speak the language and not many people speak English. Before I knew it, I was face down awaiting the dreaded anesthetic shots. Whilst they were being administered someone was massaging my back and there was some type of vibration device being held against the back of my head. Honestly, they really didn’t hurt at all – my Covid vaccination shots hurt way more. After all that fear it really was nothing (damn all you posters for scaring the sh#t out of me 😊) – maybe the painkillers I was given helped a lot.

Then the extractions began – this was probably the worst part for me as I was awake and had to stay on my stomach for, I’m guessing, about 2.5-3 hours. My lower back was in a bit of pain for the last hour and a half. Once the extractions were complete, I was told we would break for lunch and I was led to a room where my lunch was waiting. This was a little weird as I ate on my own and it wasn’t until they told me I was required to go back in the surgery room did anyone come in the room to speak to me. I really wasn’t hungry so barely ate any of my lunch.

From there the incisions were done and the implanting began. This was a lot more comfortable physically as I was laying on my back. PRP was then injected and once everything was completed I was lead to a room to receive LLT for 30 minutes. Once the LLT was complete Dr Laorwong looked me over and said he was happy with how everything had gone and answered some of my questions.

I was at the clinic at 8:30 and left at 5pm.

I dressed and they called me a cab and I went back to my room. I didn’t feel any pain during the surgery or afterwards and I managed to sleep a whole 8 hours following the surgery without the aid of Valium or any sleeping pills.

In total, 2426 grafts were extracted. 432 singles, 1253 doubles, 741 three’s (or more).

Post op

I went in the following for a wash, check up and LLT. I again met with Dr Laorwong who said everything seemed fine and answered some of my questions. I ended up purchasing a 6 month supply of Finasteride which the Dr sells at his clinic. I am a little concerned about sides however I would like to do everything possible to ensure a successful procedure and if I do experience any sides I will discontinue using it. Moving forward the plan is to use Finasteride, Swisse Hair Nutrition for men supplements, topical Minoxidil and a derma pen.

I went back in on days 2, 3, 4 and 5 post surgery for my hair wash and each day and LLLT. Dr Laorwong checked the hair each time and was happy with everything and he made time to answer my questions.

Thoughts on Surgery/Surgeon

Everything went smoothly. Dr Laorwong seems like a guy that really knows what he is doing – there’s no fluff, he’s straight to business. His approach can seem somewhat impersonal at times, however I think that’s just his personality and there’s no negative intentions behind it. He does seem like he cares about doing a good job and that’s his main aim. If I could find any suggestions to make for him is that he maybe try to be a little more supportive to patients during the process. As an example, only once was I asked how I was feeling and that’s after I groaned because my back was sore. He spoke to me very little during the surgery and if I didn’t ask what was happening or when we could break (to use the toilet) he would not volunteer the information. For me (and potentially a lot of others), a hair transplant is a major surgery that we have been anxious about for a long time – so a little more compassion and checking in would of helped me relax and feel more comfortable.

So for anyone considering Dr Laorwong, I would say my experience with him so far was amazing (hopefully the results are as well). However, if you feel like you need a doctor who will be emotionally supportive during the surgery then consider what I have said. I’m mindful not to make this sound like criticism of him, I’m just trying to give an honest assessment of my personal experience with him as I feel this is what this forum is for.  

Thoughts 2 weeks post op

I’m worried things went too smoothly 😊. On the day of the surgery there was zero pain. Post surgery, and in the days following, I slept 8 hours a night. My scabbing was very minimal and using Melvin the Moderator’s video tutorial I was able to remove them all on the 9^th or 10^th day. I have had no itchiness or soreness post-surgery. I have a little shock loss but I expected that. I started shedding on day 15. There is some redness on the donor area however I’m not sure how bad it is as the majority of the grafts are still in place so it disguises it. I did experience some bad swelling – having read others experiences with it I think mine was quite severe for a week post op and probably finally went away 10 days post op. Overall, I am happy with how things went. The only negative is that I wish I had filled in the temple points a little more. I have always thought that I would probably end up having two surgeries done so if I ever do get another, its probably something that I will do on the next go round.

Pictures attached are day of surgery, 1 day post op, 2 weeks post op. 

I hope my review helps someone out there.

13 minutes ago, Hristo13 said:

Hi - I had my procedure performed on 5 January 2022. My surgeon said applying fibres or any other hair products after 7 days is safe - however, just to still be careful with the transplanted grafts. 

Hi - I had my procedure performed on 5 January 2022. My surgeon said applying fibres or any other hair products after 7 days is safe - however, just to still be careful with the transplanted grafts. 

Thanks Melvin - at what day following the transplant do you recommend doing this?

1 hour ago, _lshy said:

I am planning on flying to Thailand (from Sydney) to do a surgery in December. I'm in the trip planning phase now. First HT and first time overseas by myself. 

If I do FUT, how long should I stay in Thailand before I should book my return flight? I was going to stay 7 days, but I feel that might be overkill. 

I think everyone is different - but for me, I decided to stay a week afterwards so I could go in and have my head shampoo and LLLT for four days following the surgery. I am getting FUE done so I ma not sure if FUT is a longer recovery. Others on here may be able to help answer that. 

10 hours ago, shadowcast said:

You're probably overthinking everything if you're doing FUE and it's a good doctor. You'll likely be sitting around for those 7 days wishing you were back home in your own bed. Again if it's FUE with a good doctor then you should be able to fly home day after surgery without any problems.

I am definitely over thinking it 🙂, but I think that's pretty normal for most people who are about to undergo this surgery. I would love to back home asap following the surgery but the flight from Bangkok to Melbourne is 9 hours - and the thought of being on a plane for that long a couple of days after surgery isn't appealing. 

12 hours ago, LaserCaps said:

Ask if you can return to the clinic the next day to have them do a wash.  It will make you feel better.

Are you doing FUE/FUT?

Keep in mind, when returning, it is likely they will take away whatever you are bringing back.  You may have to check-in baggage.  Have the clinic give you a doctor's note indicating all of these things are medically necessary.  That should help.

How likely is it that you will return to the clinic in the future? Probably none.  Perhaps asking for copies of your entire chart would not be a bad idea.  This will help you keep track of progress, (including copies of photos).

 

I am doing FUE - I plan on going in for five days after the surgery for the shampoo and LLLT. 

13 hours ago, Spaceguy said:

I just returned from trip like that!

1. Find a accomodation with private/your own bathroom (to wash your haead and other post op care in peace) and refrigerator as you'll need to use ice packs for swelling.

2.Take a lot of movies, tv shows or books

3.Make sure to have food delivery option, and some other things....

Also it is good to have kitchen available so when doctor allow ypu to drink coffe ypu can get one for ypurself without needing to go out exposing yourself....bring coffe hehe!

4. If you need to go to buy something do it at night to avoid sunlight, after few days 3-5 you can wear a hat or a cap but only if it doesnt touch your recipient area....at least my doctor suggested that!

Before trip choose wisely what hat/baseball cap to take, try it out so it doesn't touch your planned recipient area.

5. Take a good travel pillow and zipper vests/shirts....take clothes ypu can easily change without touching your head (transplant zones)

Lucky i stayed in place with all those conditions easliy and safely available.

 

Good luck!

Thank you - they are great suggestions ... I was definitely going to download a lot of movies in case the Wi-Fi isn't great in the hotel